Tilak Varma, who now bats at No. 5‑6, carries a 65.66 average with a 195 strike‑rate in that slot—an eye‑catching stat for a young finisher.
But the move came after Ishan Kishan seized the No. 3 spot, and the captain’s opening duo left the middle order reshuffled. Varma now has to close out games in just five or six overs, a role that demands razor‑sharp shot selection.
He’s been burning the nets, widening his range and sharpening the power‑hitting that defines a true finisher. “If a slower ball comes into my arc, I go for the six,” he said, the kind of mindset that turns a tail‑end into a powerhouse.
India’s West Indies series proved that the team can cross 200 in every match, and Varma’s consistency at No. 6 adds a sweet spot for the side. “Every game we’ve scored over 200,” he noted, “and that’s a big positive.”
With a packed run of fixtures behind them, the squad now heads to New Zealand for an all‑format tour, and Varma’s new role could be the difference in tight T20Is.